| It is not uncommon for parents to use education lingo | | | | provide the students with the accommodations, |
| during the initial consultation with a new tutor. One term | | | | modifications and supports that were listed in the IEP. |
| that seems to come up quite often is the "IEP" or | | | | All people involved with the child are expected to |
| "Individualized Education Program". This article will | | | | follow the IEP exactly as it was written and provide |
| highlight what a tutor needs to know about the IEP | | | | data as to how the student is progressing toward the |
| process so that they may better communicate with | | | | annual goal. The IEP will be reviewed each year by the |
| the parent. Any child in a public school who receives | | | | child's IEP team in order to determine whether |
| special education services must have an IEP. Regular | | | | progress toward the annual goals has been made, to |
| education teachers, special education teachers, | | | | discuss the effectiveness of specific accommodations |
| parents, school administrators, related services | | | | and modifications, and to revise the IEP for the |
| personnel such as a speech therapist, and often the | | | | following year. IDEA requires that the IEP is reviewed |
| students themselves work together to create a | | | | at least once a year. However, the team may review |
| document that reflects a student's individual needs and | | | | and make changes to the IEP more frequently if they |
| goals. Members of this IEP team discuss their | | | | feel the need. Either the parents or the school |
| experience with the student, the student's disabilities, | | | | personnel may decide that a child's IEP should be |
| strengths, and weaknesses, and decide how the | | | | revisited prior to the annual review and request a |
| student can be most successful with the general | | | | meeting. As a tutor who will be working closely with a |
| curriculum offered by the school. They also set annual | | | | student, you may benefit from looking over the IEP to |
| goals for the child and determine how progress | | | | determine what problems the IEP team have identified |
| toward these goals will be measured and reported. | | | | and what strategies they have decided to employ in |
| The nation's special education law, the Individuals with | | | | order to best assist the student in his education. The |
| Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, requires that certain | | | | parents are given a copy of the IEP at the conclusion |
| information is included in the document and has | | | | of the meeting and may offer to share it with you. If |
| established guidelines that must be followed as the IEP | | | | they mention that their child has an IEP but fail to offer |
| is written. For instance, there is an area of the | | | | to let you see it, you may want to request to review it |
| document in which the team lists all of the ways that | | | | and explain to the parent that you will be in a much |
| the school will service and support the child. If the team | | | | better position to help their child if you could continue |
| decides that a student would benefit from extra time | | | | the same strategies that the school is using. For |
| while taking tests, from having a copy of peer or | | | | instance, if the IEP states that the student has a |
| teacher notes, or allowed to use a calculator to check | | | | problem organizing concepts, and you were made |
| answers, then they must list this on the document. | | | | aware of this, then you may choose to have the |
| Anything included on the document must then be | | | | student create concept maps. If the IEP states that a |
| followed by the teachers and support staff. If the | | | | student has a difficult time completing tests under time |
| team decides that certain behaviors interfere with a | | | | constraints, then you may want to focus on test taking |
| student's learning, they must discuss positive and | | | | strategies. I'm sure if parents are paying you to work |
| effective ways to address the behaviors and record | | | | with their child, then they will be more than willing to |
| the interventions and/or strategies that they have | | | | share the IEP along with anything else that may have |
| decided will best help the student learn how to control | | | | come out of the discussion with the IEP team with you. |
| and manage his behavior in the IEP. Once a team | | | | Free Report! Start your own online tutoring business & |
| meets, discusses the student and his needs, and writes | | | | earn $25 - $75/hour from home. Get your free report |
| an IEP, the child's teachers and service providers are | | | | at TutorFi. |
| provided with a copy of the IEP and are expected to | | | | |